BMW is planning a range of 30 rear-drive and 15 front-drive cars, according to company development boss Herbert Diess.

Talking to industry journal Automotive News Europe, Diess said the upcoming 2-series Active Tourer was the only BMW-badged front-drive model so far committed to production. However, the plan for 15 front-drive cars suggests that, as well as several Mini variants, at least five will be BMW-badged.

The 2-series Active Tourer is likely to go on sale over the summer in five-seat guise, with a seven-seat version also arriving before the end of the year. A reveal at the Geneva motor show next month is expected.

BMW sources have told Autocar the shift to using a front-wheel-drive architecture in the Active Tourer hasn't meant compromises, saying "it has been designed with dynamism and athleticism in mind. It is still a BMW".

BMW is likely to use a three-cylinder turbocharged engine to power the bulk of the range. A more potent four-cylinder 235i model is also tipped to be offered, complete with around 231bhp on tap and a top speed of 146mph.

While Europe is expected to take the bulk of orders for the 2-series Active Tourer, interest in the model is also reportedly strong in Asia and the US.

Diess also revealed that BMW was shifting to a twin-architecture future, in which the company will use single, very flexible rear-drive components set alongside the UKL1 front-drive platform. The majority of the future engine line-up is also based on the same layout of 500cc per cylinder.

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Even without making just one model of truck and one model of van,BMW has a wider model range than Ford, Renault or Fiat. And yet it tries to present itself as a purveyor of exclusive, rare vehicles for the discerning motorist. Don't you think that there are now too many BMWs for them to be seen as exclusive or upmarket, more Marks & Spencer than Harrods?

... tries to present itself as a purveyor of exclusive, rare vehicles for the discerning motorist. Don't you think that there are now too many BMWs for them to be seen as exclusive or upmarket, more Marks & Spencer than Harrods?

As far as I know, BMW presents its cars neither as exclusive nor rare. What they (and I guess Merc/Audi/Jag/Lexus/Infiniti/|Cadillac etc) present their cars as is "premium".

...it tries to present itself as a purveyor of exclusive, rare vehicles

What utter bunkum. Where do you get this idea? What current BMW is 'rare'? BMW is here to innovate and to make a profit. As the one and only independent family owned motor manufacturer on earth, BMW is doing pretty well at what it's always done - making vehicles that lots of people want to own and that are, rightly or wrongly,. seen by many as 'aspirational'. The idea that BMW peddles 'exclusive and rare' is poppycock.

...it tries to present itself as a purveyor of exclusive, rare vehicles

What utter bunkum. Where do you get this idea? What current BMW is 'rare'? BMW is here to innovate and to make a profit. As the one and only independent family owned motor manufacturer on earth, BMW is doing pretty well at what it's always done - making vehicles that lots of people want to own and that are, rightly or wrongly,. seen by many as 'aspirational'. The idea that BMW peddles 'exclusive and rare' is poppycock.

For the record, I've never owned a BMW and have no desire to.

My apologies for using the word 'rare'. I should have said 'non-mainstream,so not like Ford, Renault,Peugeot Toyota, Vauxhall/Opel, Kia, Hyundai, Fiat and VW etc that mass produce cars for the common people.'

Slowly and steadily bmw are diluting the brand to sell whatever model they can!! So are the other two german makers who are having an easy time flogging anything to customers wanting to own a so called 'premium' brand.

A few years down the line when the used car market is filled with diesel MPVs, hatchbacks, mobility scooters etc..etc...will these brands have the same kudos?!

Luxury carmakers found their business revolving around big margin-high quality-premium products. Instead the german trio are chasing volumes and building capacity, something the mainstream manufacturers are suffering from now a days. One wonders how long will these makers ride on their 'premium' image!!

Slowly and steadily bmw are diluting the brand to sell whatever model they can!! ... their business revolving around big margin-high quality-premium products. Instead the german trio are chasing volumes and building capacity,..

"Exclusivity" is not a BMW brand value - consider the BMW 3 series is the new Ford Cortina in the UK. Of course, BMW don't advertise the fact that some of their cars are "common", but why should they? Their business is big-margin AND highest-possible-volume... like Apple!

"Exclusivity" is not a BMW brand value - consider the BMW 3 series is the new Ford Cortina in the UK......Their business is big-margin AND highest-possible-volume... like Apple!

I agree, it is making a lot of money for them at the moment. The 3 series was always a sporty rear wheel drive option compared to other more practical mainstream models, one understood why it demanded a premium over a mondeo or a vectra.

But how long before people struggle to reason why a '3 cylinder front wheel drive bmw 7 seater MPV' costs a lot more than a C-max or a Zafira?! I travelled in a X1 a few months ago and found it tacky and unrefined, although that might just be me.

They will keep increasing their volumes and capacity, but say demand slips then bmw will be burdened by overcapacity and to keep factories open be under pressure to push more cars, smaller margins, cut costs, less R&D expenditure!!! Its the downward spiral that has hit most mainstream carmakers.

I feel they are simply diluting their core values and hence the brand; not realising the name is their biggest strength. I am no expert, but I feel at some stage people will find their models less on the premium and more on the overpriced side.

Too many people are getting hung up on this idea that a BMW is supposed to be an exclusive product, and that by expanding their range it is diluting that. A BMW is not an exclusive product and is not intended to be, its a quality, well built, well engineered product. Any company which wants to grow tries to chase sales with a wider range of products. If BMW wanted to be exclusive, they would follow Ferrari's sales plan of cutting back on production and limiting sales, but they dont sell the same sort of car so why would they.

BMW is about more than just the badge, there remains an underlying quality in their cars. Just open the bonnet and look around - things are much more organised than say in a mainstream Ford and the quality of the body work and paint, at least in my experience of Dad's previous and current generation 3 series', is very good. I've also had wheel balancing issues on every Focus I've had, but Dad has never had an issue in nearly 4 years of 3 series driving. That is not to say BMWs are always worth the money, some options are stupidly expensive, but choose carefully, particularly at the lower end of the 3 or 5 series range and you get a good quality car for surprisingly little extra over a model from a non-premium brand after some haggling.